Wednesday, 15th September 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
We see a contrast between the kingdom of David, who sought after the heart of God; and the kingdom of Solomon, who did many glorious and praiseworthy things, but on the outward appearance. God’s blessings for David were for generations, but because of Solomon’s selfishness, he was not able to bring the blessings down to his decedents. He started building alters for the gods of his wives and left this gap to enable the Israelites sinning against God.
Section One V1-20 Israel, Who Left God Behind
Jeroboam did many things displeased God, and when his son became sick, he asked his wife to disguise herself to look for the prophet, Ahijah. He was a king, but he was hiding what he was doing, because he didn’t want people to know that he went to the Temple in Judah. He must have sought all the different ways he could to heal his son, and when he realised nothing worked, he finally remembered the prophet, who first told him that he would be the king. Secondly, he knew what he did was wrong in the eyes of God, and therefore he tried to hide from the prophet. He knew what he did displeased God, but he was still walking in foolish, he asked his wife to seek the prophet, not to ask for prayers, but to ask what would happen next.
Do we want to know what will happen next in our lives? Or can we be satisfied to simply walk in God’s Way even if we don’t know what is ahead of us? Knowing what will happen in our lives cannot help us, what we should seek is a godly life. Jeroboam knew Ahijah could tell him what would happen next, but he only treated God’s prophet as a fortune teller. Ahijah knew it was Jeroboam’s wife, and he knew Jeroboam’s son would die. He also passed on a message from God to tell them that when one man sinned against God, the whole family would fall into curses. God showed the king that there was still hope if he repented and listened, but Jeroboam was afraid of losing what he had, he did not fear God. Again, and again God showed sings and wonders for Jeroboam, but Jeroboam did not turn to God and he only reigned for 20 years as the king.
Section Two V20-31 Judah, Who Provoked God’s Anger
God also has a bottom line like men. How did Judah provoke God’s anger? When Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, became the king he was 41 years. Therefore, it means he followed his father for 40 years, but his life was a mess, despise all the wisdom he could have received from his father. Rehoboam’s mother was an Ammonitess, she did not bring blessings to Rehoboam, but all the things that displeased God. Judah had the Temple of God, but they built alters on the hills; Israel also did not worship God in the Temple because they didn’t want their people to go to Judah. The people of Judah and Israel did not treasure the Temple of God and they provoked the bottom line of God.
After five years of Rehoboam’s reign, God allowed Egypt to come against Jerusalem and took away all the treasures of the Temple of God. God’s presence left the Temple of God, but Rehoboam still did not wake up and recognise it. God is righteous but He is also compassionate, if we really come to seek Him with fear and trembling, He knows our heart and He will surely delivery. When we come before God, we must bring with us a serious attitude, to examine our lives, to hear God’s wake up call, and to change our ways.
V27-28 “Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house. And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.” Rehoboam still did not see God’s hands and did not hear God’s wake up call. He thought the bronze shields could replace the gold and silver. We tend to set up our own standard, we think we can lie to people, lie to ourselves and lie to God.
V30 Rehoboam and Jeroboam continued to fight against each other, they did not turn away from their sins and was still fighting for the earthly things. May God help us to seek the blessings from God only, to be His faithful and good servants, and choose to live in God always.
Worship: 住在你裡面 Dwell in You https://youtu.be/F6LFd0l9ADQ
Prayer & Pursuit
Lord, forgive us for seeking our own ways instead of Your Way, let Your light sign upon us and help us to hear Your wake-up call, to follow the cross and to choose the path of Heaven. Lord, give us faith, give us strength, and give us peace. Amen
2021年9月15日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
两个王朝已经过去了：一个是敬畏神的大卫，一个是大卫的儿子所罗门 – 他活在欺哄和蒙蔽中。所罗门作王之后得到众人的称赞，特别是他的智慧，然而他离开后，国家分裂，没有人行在智慧中。所罗门的智慧只是昙花一现，他欺哄那些为他建殿的人，花时间在建造自己的皇宫堡垒，又使百姓在丘坛献祭，所以他死后就给他的国家带来噩梦。所罗门有神两次造访他，但他听不进去，因为他在蒙蔽中，一个本来是蒙福的生命却带来诅咒、分裂。
一、丢神在背后的以色列 V1-20
“那时”（V1）指的是前面第13章33-34节所讲的“这事以后，耶罗波安仍不离开他的恶道，将凡民立为丘坛的祭司……”。耶罗波安做了很多不讨神喜悦的事，所以他儿子病了。一个丢神在背后的人行事是诡诈的。他让自己的妻子乔装改扮去找曾经给他发预言的先知亚希雅。耶罗波安不想让人知道他做这件事情，因为：1）他不想以色列人去属犹大的耶路撒冷敬拜神，所以不想让人看到他去找犹大的先知，他不愿意面对自己的生命，于是伪装自己；2）他知道自己行了神看为恶的事，被先知亚希雅知道后是不会帮助他的。我们知道自己的问题却不相信神，这就是蒙蔽。
耶罗波安要的不是儿子被祝福，只想知道儿子之后会发生什么事（V3)。一个被蒙蔽的人不喜欢凭信心走前面的路，不喜欢不能掌控未来的感觉，我们是不是总想知道在前方的道路到底会具体发生什么，而不愿意相信神的带领？我们很喜欢占卜算命，但我们知道明天发生什么事并不能救我们，我们需要的是永恒的生命。耶罗波安只将先知当成一个占卜师，我们如今是如何看待神的仆人、如何看待我们的权柄呢？
先知亚希雅是一个有神的人，无论他的身体有多衰弱，他都信靠神，于是神预先指示亚希雅当说的话（V5）。当耶罗波安的王后进门后，亚希雅就责问她，让她回去将“凶事”告诉耶罗波安。亚希雅说耶罗波安的儿子必定会死（V12）- 这个死就好像当初亚伯拉罕要献以撒给神，神就用一只羊代替了以撒的死。在第7-11节这里神借亚希雅的口评价耶罗波安的恶和预言他家的事：一个人得罪神，会影响他一家的男丁。神用耶罗波安的儿子亚比雅作为拯救他们家的祭物，可惜耶罗波安最后还是没有悔改。亚比雅其实什么事都没有做，但被神说“只有他向耶和华以色列的神显出善行”（V13）。神让耶罗波安和以色列知道，虽然他们行恶，但当他们愿意来寻求神的时候，就有希望。可惜他们都没有看见这一点。
V18-20 “先知亚希雅所说的话”指的是第10-11节的预言 （ “困住的”指的是被仇敌抓的俘虏）：除了亚比雅，所有耶罗波安家的人都死无葬身之地。本来神给他们的是祝福，但因为耶罗波安惧怕会失去自己所拥有的，最后只“做王二十二年”（V20），又令自己家招来咒诅。神使很多神迹奇事发生在我们的生命中，我们是否愿意警醒回应呢？
二、触动神的愤恨的犹大 V21-30
V21 人到了40岁时，应该是一个很成熟的人。罗波安跟着自己的父亲所罗门学习作王40年，然而当他41岁登基的时候，生命一塌糊涂。罗波安只做王17年。
V22-24 罗波安是一个被蒙蔽的王，他的妈妈是一个外邦人，是亚扪的公主。这个外邦人没有给罗波安带来祝福，反而让犹大人”行一切可憎恶的事”。犹大国自己有圣殿在耶路撒冷，但他们不去圣殿敬拜神，反而到“各高冈上、各青翠树下”去造外邦的偶像来拜。甚至“国中也有娈童”- 就是那些外邦人用与庙中男妓交合的方式来拜他们的偶像，犹大人效法他们，将这些污秽的仪式带到神的殿中。这就是当初所罗门娶了众多外邦人为妻的恶果，大大触动神的愤恨。
V25-26 人玷污了神的殿，神就离开了，如今的圣殿只是一个建筑物，连“所罗门制造的金盾牌”也被曾经跟所罗门关系很好的埃及夺走。 神的殿被人抢掠，如此严重的事，犹大国的人竟然都没有警醒过来。神怜悯我们，不断给我们机会回转，但神也是有底线的，我们是否会珍惜神给我们的机会。当我们一起敬拜神的时候，我们的心到底如何？我们只是来参加一个聚会，还是真的知道我们的心被神提醒了？尼尼微城当初听到约拿宣告的审判时，全城的人披麻蒙灰悔改，我们听到神的话语时，又是怎样回应？我们是否能有一个沉重的心情来回看我们过往不堪的生命？
V27-28 金银都是属于圣殿的，但罗波安王没有警醒, 失去了金盾牌就换一个颜色差不多的铜盾牌，以为这样就可以蒙混过关。我们是否跟罗波安一样为自己营造一个虚荣，以为可以骗得过人和神？
V29 罗波安所做的糊涂事，神都知道，都被记载在书卷上了。
V30 这两个人已经失去神了，却还在为会失去的地土相争，没有回转求神饶恕。我们是否也是这样去追求这个世界的好处？
V31 一个人的母亲的责任很重要，我们是要成为亚扪人“拿玛”还是撒母耳的母亲？
在蒙蔽里面，我们看到的都是自己想要的东西，但这些世上的东西都会灭亡。求神帮助我们做上好的选择，选择祝福，一生在神的带领中。
*追求与回应：
我们只愿住在你里面，求主赦免我们没有看见你在我们生命中用神迹奇事提醒我们，赦免我们没有看见我们里面的污秽。我们不要这个世界的赞赏，只愿单单寻求你的赞赏，来到你的面前，来赞美你，让你的光显明在我们生命中，让我们能更像耶稣。
祝福弟兄姐妹有从神而来的智慧选择生命、祝福，拒绝死亡、诅咒。我们能在蒙蔽中清醒过来，不再被情欲牵着走，我们选择背起十字架，走天国的路。求主加添我们力量！